Consider the debate over immigration, which has been near the top of the hit list for the Trump administration and Texas’ top elected leaders. While they rail about border security and the rule of law — and stoke fear in the immigrant community — Dallas is putting out the welcome mat.

Last year, Dallas created the Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs with the aim of helping immigrants and refugees thrive in their adopted homeland. The office organized a citizenship campaign that attracted about 500 people last fall, and it’s working with police to improve engagement with the immigrant community. Next month, the office hopes to submit a strategic welcoming plan to encourage diversity and inclusion, and make that a competitive advantage.

With almost 1 in 4 Dallas residents being born in another country, the Dallas office is concerned about humanitarian issues as well as promoting economic growth.

In the Trump era, apprehensions and deportations are on the rise, and many immigrants are afraid to go out at night or drive their children to the doctor because they could cross paths with law enforcement, said Liz Cedillo-Pereira, director of the city’s immigrant affairs office.

Liz Cedillo-Pereira is director of the Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs.

(Maria R.Olivas)

“Their fear is palpable, and we have to ask how to alleviate that so we can improve the quality of life for all residents,” she said.

Dallas is one of many cities taking a public stand in defense of immigrants, and it’s part of Welcoming America, a network of over 100 cities trying to create inclusive, welcoming places for immigrants.

One goal is to help cities develop a blueprint to attract immigrant talent and jump-start their economies.

“While Congress debates the value of immigration, in city after city, the evidence is already in: Immigrants revive neighborhoods and drive economic growth,” John Feinblatt, president of New American Economy said last fall.

Immigrants as entrepreneurs

In Dallas, immigrants account for 24 percent of the population (compared with 13.2 percent for the U.S.) and almost 32 percent of Dallas' workforce, according to research by New American Economy and the city of Dallas. Immigrants have grown much faster than the total population, accounting for 40 percent of the city's population increase from 2011 to 2016.

Dallas immigrants earned almost $8 billion in 2016, and they’re much more likely to start their own businesses. In the entire Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, almost 87,000 immigrants are entrepreneurs.

“We know that over time, immigrants and refugees have become a very substantial part of our community,” said Cedillo-Pereira, an immigration lawyer who worked nearly two years for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “So what can we do to harness their full potential?”

Since December, her office has been working with a task force of 85 community leaders and stakeholders to develop the strategic plan. Houston has been moving in a similar direction for longer, and the Welcoming Houston group made 50 recommendations in January 2017.

Those included proposals to increase immigrant representation on city boards and commissions, and avoid police involvement in enforcing immigration laws. It also suggested a legal fund to help Houston immigrants who face removal proceedings.

Houston leaders, especially the police chief, have been saying the right things about the importance of immigrants, said Kate Vickery, executive director of the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative. But the city hasn’t formally adopted the recommendations as part of a strategic plan, she said.

Welcoming plans

Eighteen cities nationwide have published a strategic welcoming plan, and just over two dozen have opened city offices dedicated to immigrant inclusion and integration, said Kate Brick, director of state and local initiatives for the New American Economy.

The plans typically address at least three areas. They try to increase immigrant representation on city committees and create a leadership pipeline for the newcomers. They closely examine public safety policies so that police can be seen as protecting the community, not enforcing immigration laws. And they push to create an office within city government to promote and assist immigrants, and not only for practical reasons.

“It sends a message that the community takes diversity seriously and wants to be welcoming,” Brick said.